UFC 153 Fight Card: Is Erick Silva a Future Champion at Welterweight?

At UFC 153, Erick Silva will face an opponent in Jon Fitch that embodies (by far) the toughest challenge of his MMA career.

The fight should reveal much about the up-and-comer, who has never been charged with a task so trying, but has passed lesser challengers with flying colors.

In fact, Silva has looked so excellent during his three-fight UFC stint, that some are already touting him as a future champion. While it's still early in his career, Silva has very much looked the part, and could greatly boost his case with a win over Fitch at UFC 153.

I recently opined that Fitch will prove too much for Silva this Saturday night, and I remain steadfast in that belief. But, a loss at UFC 153 is far from the be-all and end-all for Silva.

Certainly, MMA is a sport where anything can happen, but there is a very real possibility that the welterweight title remains around the waist of Georges St-Pierre for the foreseeable future. That is why the race for the welterweight crown is not a sprint, but a marathon, and that is why Silva can lose to Fitch and still be a champion some day—a case I previously made earlier this week.

At 28, Silva is not the youngest prospect around, but he has only made 15 professional appearances and has never been knocked out. So while he may have gotten a later UFC start than most up-and-comers, his fighting age isn't too advanced, and he should be in his prime when GSP is finally ready to relinquish the UFC title.

And when that day does come, Silva will be front and center, waiting to snatch it away from the Canadian legend.

So while it may not be immediate, or even in the next couple years, Silva will prove himself to be a championship-caliber fighter. And he'll do it at the right time, too.

That combination spells future champion to me. Just give it some time.